Burned Out: Chasers Can’t Hold On, Lose 5-4 in Iowa

You can only come from behind so many times before you run out of gas.

The Omaha Storm Chasers rallied from behind twice tonight and took the lead late, but late runs from Caleb Knight and Alexander Canario allowed the Iowa Cubs to defeat the Chasers 5-4 in front of 9,500+ people at Principal Park.

The week-long series between these two teams is even heading into tomorrow’s matchup in Des Moines.

In the Bottom of the 3rd, Jack Reinheimer reached on a fielder’s choice before Caleb Knight walked. Darius Hill drove in Reinheimer on a single to fight field to give Iowa an early 1-0 lead. Brian O’Keefe caught Hill attempting to steal second before Lynch struck out Alexander Canario to limit the damage.

The Storm Chasers tied it up in the 5th. Tyler Gentry led off with a double down the left field line and scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Ryan Fitzgerald and Kevin Padlo. That evened the game at one.

Lynch ran into more trouble in the 6th and surrendered a two-run homer to Alexander Canario that hopped off the yellow tape and bounced out in left-center field to give Iowa a 3-1 lead. Tyler Gentry made a great relay throw that allowed Brian O’Keefe to tag out Cole Roederer to end the inning.

The Comeback Chasers were at it again in the 7th Inning. Brian O’Keefe hit his 10th homer of the season, a solo blast, over the right-center field fence to cut the deficit in half. Tyler Gentry followed it up with a solo shot of his own over the left-center field fence, his fifth of the season, to tie the game at three heading into the stretch.

John Rave walked and took third on a single from Nate Eaton. Devin Mann scored Rave on a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Storm Chasers a 4-3 lead in the 8th, their first of the ballgame.

Walter Pennington took the hill in the bottom half of the inning, but it took one hitter to get Iowa back in the game. Caleb Knight took Pennington to the party deck in left field, 430 feet to be exact, to tie the game for the I-Cubs. Shortly after walking Canario, Owen Caissie ripped a double off the wall in right field to bring him in and give Iowa a 5-4 lead.

Kevin Padlo drove one to the warning track, but it hung up long enough for Cole Roederer to make the catch to end the game and give Iowa the 5-4 win.

NOTES:

Tyler Gentry had the only multi-hit game for the Chasers. He finished 2-4 with a double and a homer.
Nelson Velazquez went 1-3 with a walk in his first game back in Des Moines since being traded to Kansas City last season.
Brian O’Keefe hit his 10th homer tonight. He finished 1-4.
Cam Devanney hit his 14th double of the season.
Quality outing tonight from Daniel Lynch IV. Six innings, three earned runs on six hits, two walks, seven strikeouts.
Walter Pennington surrendered the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the 8th. Uncharacteristic outing from a lockdown reliever.
Noah Murdock struck out the side in the 7th. He has a 0.84 ERA in Omaha. Is he ready for Kauffman? He very well could be.